Behind the Blog: Red and Black Hockey
Today’s Behind the Blog features David Lee, who runs Red and Black Hockey. This Carolina Hurricanes fan blog has game reviews and other unique features and hosted the most recent Carnival of the NHL.
Q.1 – Why did you create Red and Black Hockey? What do you hope to achieve over the next few years?
Like a lot of folks, I started Red and Black Hockey as a “mistress” blog. I was spending an awful lot of time writing about hockey on my other blog, and I realized that although the readers of that blog don’t care for hockey, I could find an audience that does. The end of the lockout and the onset of the free agent frenzy made it really easy to get started. Over the next few years, I hope that I can become a better photographer, learn some programming code, and design my own site instead of using a pre-fab. The narcissist in me hopes that one day I’ll meet someone, and in mid conversation, they’ll exclaim “No way! You’re the guy who writes Red and Black Hockey?!”
Q.2 – Why do you have that Wayne Gretzky quote on the top of your blog? Is it a favorite quote or something?
To be completely honest, I don’t know why I put it up there. It’s just a quote that I like a lot. I guess it’s one of those things that anybody can use as their motto. It can apply to any walk of life. Hard work is more important than raw talent. Just ask Pavel Brendl, because he’s a great example of someone who doesn’t use that as his motto.
Q.3 - You first started blogging on July 17, 2005 for Red and Black Hockey. How did you get the word out about your blog and when did you realize that it had become popular?
I plugged Red and Black Hockey on my other blog. At first, I got a little bit of cross-over readership from folks who were curious about my passion for hockey, but after about a week, I had exactly one regular reader. I didn’t really do anything to promote myself, but the more I wrote, people gradually started coming around. I wouldn’t say that it’s become “popular” but I was featured in the Carnival #4, which really helped. At that point, I didn’t even know that the Carnival existed until I got a random e-mail telling me that I had been included. After that, my hits went way up. I saw another spike in readership when the blog was mentioned in the Toronto Star.
Q.4 – After winning the bet between you and Jes Golbez, is there anything you’d like to say?
Not really. It was just for funsies, and I don’t see the point in gloating about it. I’m actually kind of sad that Hutchinson reached eight points so soon. I hoped it would have been a little more dramatic.
Q.5 – Where do you see the Carolina Hurricanes finishing this season (ie. what seed in the conference, making it to the Stanley Cup finals, etc.)?
I see them finishing atop the Southeast division and probably getting the second seed in the Eastern Conference. I see a Carolina-Ottawa battle for the Prince of Wales, and I see it going to seven games, with Ottawa prevailing. I hope I’m wrong about that last part, though.
Q.6 – Which Hurricane players, if any, will win one of the NHL awards at the end of the season like the Selke or Hart?
Barring a freak accident involving power tools, Rod Brind’Amour should take the Selke. Although he’s in a slump right now, Eric Staal has a realistic chance of getting the Rocket Richard. And don’t look now, but if Cory Stillman keeps playing the way he is, he could be an Art Ross contender. Those last two are sort of dark horses, but I’d put money on Brindy for Selke at this point.
Q.7 – How long have you been a Hurricane fan and where do you see the organization going over the next 5 years?
When the team moved to North Carolina, in 1997, they played in Greensboro (where I live) for the first two years. I followed them from day one, but I only got serious about it during the 2001-02 season. I’ve lived in North Carolina my whole life, and we never got much exposure to the NHL, so I never had a team before the Canes moved down here.
In the next five years, I think the team will grow in popularity both locally and otherwise. It’s really hard to compete with college basketball around here, but continued success on the ice will beget more support.
Q.8 – When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
That’s hard to say. It must have been some time in 1995. There used to be an ECHL team here in Greensboro. I have no idea who they were playing, but I do remember that Kevin Weekes was in goal for Greensboro. My first NHL game was on November 29, 1997. The Hurricanes were hosting the Avs. I remember being somewhat awestruck by Patrick Roy.
Q.9 – What did you do to pass the time during the lockout?
My other passion is Scrabble. I’ve been playing competitively for a few years now, and I started to get really serious about it during the lockout. I’m a much better player now than I was pre-lockout.
Q.10 – Who is your favorite hockey player? Why?
This is tough. I’m tempted to say Rod Brind’Amour, and I could give half a million reasons why. However, I keep coming back to Ronnie Franchise. It’s hard to argue with 549 goals and 1249 assists. Throughout it all, he never craved the spotlight, and he always put the team first. Even when praise was due, he would find a way to deflect it to his teammates. He was always the epitome of class and the prototypical team leader. His impact on the game extends way beyond his goals and assists. In his last season, I really enjoyed watching the way he tutored Eric Staal. Oh, and he scored that game winner in game 1 of the Finals in ‘02.
Current players, I’d have to say Brindy. He works amazingly hard. He’s always the first to show up for practice and the last to leave. His fitness level and training techniques are the stuff of legends. He excels on both ends of the ice, and is playing like he’s ten years younger. He’s done an outstanding job slipping into the role of captain.
Q.11 – Any thoughts on what went on during the World Junior Championship tournament, especially when a Hurricane prospect, Jack Johnson, made a lot of news?
If you’re referring to the booing, I’m not as bent out of shape about it as some people are. It might have been a little, um, zealous, and a lot misdirected, but I think the media and the bloggers took it more to heart than the players did. There are a lot of theories about where the booing came from. Softwood lumber dispute and George W. Bush are the leading vote-getters. Obviously, these kids have nothing to do with either one of those issues. They just happen to be from the United States. I have proposed that part of the hostilities arose because USA has emerged as a more powerful force in the international hockey arena, and some fans felt threatened by that. Of course those are just the rantings of a disordered mind, but I honestly think there’s something to that.
As far as Jack Johnson goes, he made a stupid mistake with the elbow. He deserved to be booed for that, but they were already booing anyway because of the softwood lumber dispute, or perhaps because Americans refuse to revere Barenaked Ladies as a good band. I don’t know. Anyway, he played very well in the tournament, and I’m really excited about his future with the Canes.
Q. 12 – What player do you think has had the biggest impact on the Hurricanes this season?
Wow! Another really tough one. I wish you would have asked which newcomer has made the biggest impact. The answer there is, hands down, Cory Stillman. He sees the ice so well and makes some really incredible passes to create plays that we simply wouldn’t have been able to make last season. Brindy and Aaron Ward have both found the fountain of youth, and Eric Staal is perhaps the NHL’s most improved player, so they’re also good candidates.
If you force me to pick one, I’ll go with Stillman. We’ve not really had a guy like him who can create plays so well. He’s been a really good fit here, and he’s thrilled to be somewhere where he’s wanted. From the get-go, he looked like he’d been playing with the guys forever. He may not be the flashiest player out there, but he’s making it happen on a nightly basis.
Q.13 – What advice would you give to hockey bloggers, especially the newcomers?
I’d give this advice to anyone who writes any kind of blog: carry pen and paper at all times; take notes. Sometimes you’re not near a computer, but you get inspired anyway. This helps tremendously. If you go to a game in person, or watch one on tv, take notes. You might want to write about it in your blog.
If you’re going to do game recaps, provide something that TSN or NHL.com doesn’t: a personal angle. We can get a box score anywhere. Give your opinions, no matter how harsh they may be.
Read. Read. Read. You should be a voracious reader of other blogs and even official sites. These should be your friends and your sources of inspiration. Also, be an active commenter to other blogs. This will help you to establish a name for yourself.
Link, but don’t overlink. Nobody wants to read a post that’s nothing but links to other articles. People want to know what you think.
Probably most important: SPELL CHECK IS YOUR AMIGO. Use it. This may be informal, but you come off like a dolt if your post is riddled with misspellings.
Q. 14 – If you could change one thing about the NHL, what would it be?
I’ve always been a proponent of eliminating some of the rules that protect the goalkeeper. I’d like to see the day when it’s legal to check a goalie who goes outside the crease to play the puck.
Q. 15 – Is there a hockey blog or website that you look up to for inspiration?
Sure. To name just a few: Jes Golbez, James Mirtle, Hockey Country, Sabre Rattling, Tom Benjamin. Oh, and I can’t forget [so.very.obsessed]. That’s where I got the inspiration to incorporate my photos in the page design.
Any additional comments?
This was a lot of fun. Thanks for the interest.
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2 Responses to “Behind the Blog: Red and Black Hockey”
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January 18th, 2006 at 8:28 am
David’s is my favorite hockey-related blog, hands down, for 2 reasons:
1) He covers my favorite team, and
2) He’s a hella good writer, IMO (I’ve said that before, but it bears repeating).
One of these days, I’m gonna have to track him down at the RBC and buy the man a beer.
January 27th, 2006 at 9:21 pm
Yeah David does an excellent job covering the Hurricanes and I was quite appreciative when he agreed to partake in this feature.